The Herald. Alexandra, Thursday, SEPT. 17, 1903.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 17 September 1903, Page 4

The Herald. Alexandra, Thursday, SEPT. 17, 1903.

The Vincent County Council, meets ai Clyde on Wednesday next After being headless for four sessions the Opposition have , t mst selected a leader The choice has fallen on Mr Massey, member for Franklin. A company has been formed in Auckland to promote the construction of a canal between the Waitemata and the Manukau A survey is to be made at once. Disastrous storms have been experienced in Great Britain, every port of the Coast being visited. Great damage was done to shipping, and many lives have been lost. Mr J. A. Millar, an old and well-known resident of Arrowtown, died on Monday morning last, at the age of 70. The deceased gentleman was well-known as a writer on mining topics. On Sunday afternoon last, the Alexandra Brass Band played a number of selections on the recreation reserve, the grounds being patrpnised by a large number of townspeople, who. evidently, warmly appreciated the bands' efforts A considerable number of men are being dispensed with at the Westport Coal Company's Denniston and Millerton collieries owing to the slackness in demand for coal. It is alleged to be due to the large importa tions of Newcastle coal. The Otago Central Foundry, Alexandra, are at present making extensive alterations to their premises in Tarbert street When the work is completed the workshop will be much more commodious, and greater facilities will be afforded for the expeditious execution of orders. Some Australians are making a good deal of money shipping horses to New Zealand. Each Melbourne boat brings a team. They are principally likely-looking

j young draughts, and they are bringing good price - The risks attending the business, however, are pretty heavy.— "Taieri Advocate." Alfred Brown, forecabin steward on the Warrimoo, was convicted at Dunedin the other day for having 19 tins of opium in his possession, and was fined £lO and costs. Defendant, who intended to dispose of the opium, pleaded for mercy, as the case had already cost him his situation and £2B for opium, which he had forfeited. The body of young Osmond, who disappeared on the morning that the body of the young woman Campbell was found near the Dunedin university, was found in the harbour on Monday morning, shockingly decomposed. The legs had been tied together, and there were stones in the pockets ; so Osmond evidently committed suicide after his share in the other tragedy. A seizure of liquor was made on Saturday last at Chappie's old house (now occupied as a boarding house by a man named Joseph Kennedy), on the OphirChatto Creek road. The seizure was made by Constables Kennedy (Ophir) and White (Chatto Ceek), who secured an 18-gallon keg of beer, and a quantity of whisky. A JSrostycufcion lor sty-grog selling will follom

Ths Court sits at Ophir on Thursday next, 24th inst. The Tuapeka Licensing Committee meet at Roxburgh to-day. Thb Cabinet has selected Mr Chapman, the well-known Dunedin barrister, for the vacant Judgeship. , Some charges for alleged breaches of the t Licensing Act will be heard at the Ophir Court next Thursday. The Borough Council have a quantity of poisoned gram for distribution free to ratepayers, tor the destruction of small birds. Qualities may be obtained on application to the Town Clerk. Mr James Symes will sell by auction this afternoon, on account of Mr Gorman, a quantity of timber, iron, furniture, &c. This is a good chance for anyone requiring timber for outhouses, &c. With characteristic enterprise, Mr B. Naylor has lately had his business premises at Clyde installed with an up-to-date acetylene gas plant, and the result is a decided improvement on kerosene lighting Constable Thomson, from Dunedin, has been in charge of the Alexandra Police Station for the last fortnight, Constable Dale having been absent on a short furlough. Constable Dale returns to Alexandra to-morrow. The annual social under the auspices ol the Alexandra Court of Foresters was held in the town hall on Thursday evening last, when there was a large gathering of the brethren and their friends. The function was a most successful and enjoyable one. At a meeting of the Clyde Branch of the Otago Central Railway League, held at Clyde last Friday, it was resolved, on the motion of Mr Hutton, seconded by Mr Wright—That the Alexandra, branch of the Otage Central League be informed that the Clyde branch had never made any suggestion as to the survey of the line, nor to its knowledge had any of the townspeople, their only object being the furtherance of the line.

The people of Alexandra, especially those who patronise local concerts, will regret to learn that Mr A. G-. Murphy, the well-known tenor singer, is about to leave Alexandra he having received an appointment in Auckland. During his residence here, Mr Murphy has afrall times willingly placed his talents at the service of the public, and both in musical and social circles his loss will be keenly felt. A farewell smoke concert will be tendered to M r Murphy at the Bendigo Hotel to-morrow evening. A parcel of the dearest cigars in the world, 1500 in number, has been despatched from the famous Vuelta Abajo tobacco fields in Cuba for the consumption of the New York multi-millionaire smoker. The price of one of these cigars is equal to 18s of English money. None but the most faultless leaves are used in their production ; the making of them is restricted to the most experienced workers, who can only make eight cigars a day. Every cigar is wrapped in fine Japanese paper and enclosed in a small airtight box of perfumed wood. ■ A CCORDING to the report of the Secretary of Labor, the cost of the necessaries of life during the past ten years has advanced in Wellington as follows :—House rent, 25 per cent; meat (portions commonly ordered), 30 per cent; coal (in quarter tons), 10 per cent; firewood (cut in blocks), 50 per cent; timber (sawn for house building), 40 per cent; ham, bacon and eggs, 25 per cent. Flour has fluctuated from £8 to £l4 a ton, the present average being about £lO 7s 6d. Bread depending on the price of flour has ranged from 2|d to 3|d for the 21b loaf. Thousands of prospectuses of a German money lottery, " authorised . by the Government of the Grand-Duchy, MecklenburgSchwerin," are pouring into the colony at the present time through the medium of the post office, Alexandra, among other places, being visited by the deluge. If the recipients are wise they will take no interest in these precious documents beyond promptly cremating them. We presume the postal authorities return to the senders communications addressed to this firm, in the same way as is done in the case of Tattersall.

Insanity is on the increase in Berlin, according to official statistics published recently, which show that 6578 lunatics were under detention on June 30th this year, as against 6202 in 1902. This increase of 6 per cent, is considerably heavier than the growth of the city's population during the corresponding period, which was only 2 per cent. The German Association far the Investigation of Mental Diseases recently reported that intemperance was the most prolific cause of insanity in Germany. It is stated that 73 per cent, of all cases of mental disorder under treatment in the State institutions are due to over-indulgence in beer, and "schnapps."' TH%process of preserving human bodies known to the Egyptians, which has been sought; for in vain by chemists for more than 2000 years, has been discovered, it is alleged, by Dr Arnold Rosett, of Atlanta, Georgia. The body to be embalmed is put into an airtight vessel of glass or enamelled ware, and the chemicals which are used are introduced It is kept in a temperature of about lOOdeg. Fahrenheit. Gradually the molecules of flesh are displaced, and for every particle is substituted a little bulk of inorganic matter. All the time the subject is in the airtight vessel, no matter how long it remains, it is in a soft condition, and only upon exposure to the air does it harden. The older it grows the harder it becomes.